Improvement in letter-scales



J. V. H. NOTT.

LETTER-SCALES. No. 186,267. Patented Jan. 16, 1877.

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NITED STATES PATENT Orrton J. V. HENRY NOTT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN LETTER-SCALES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 86,267., datedJanuary 16, 1877; application filed November 28, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J. V. HENRY Norr,

of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter- Scales; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention is in letter-scales, and is designed to afford a simple andcheap mechanism -for weighing postal matter. It consists in thecombination, with a hooked bifurcated wire having a central engagingbend to guard againstlateral displacement, ofa single spri ngwire formedso that one of its extremities acts as a supporting and indicating arm,while the other serves as a register, and also as a handle to thedevice.

Referring to the drawing, Figure lis a perspective, and Fig. 2 a sideelevation, view of my improved scale, in which- A is a wire, having thetwo hooked extremities at a, of form suitable for receiving a letter,and having a central spring formation, so as to grasp and retain theletter as in a clasp. The middle of the wire is bent so as to form thelooped recess B, angular in shape, so as to prevent lateral displacementof the hook, wire A, and hold the latter from sliding to either sidewhen weighing its subject-matter.

This angular loop B engages with the supporting-arm O of the scale bythe latter having its end 0 turned over in a return-bend, and thusforming a loop, in which also the graduated arm D is inclosed. This end0 constitutesthe indicating-finger of the scale, as it plays verticallyalong the graduated arm D, which latter is provided with notches d, forregisteringtherewith. The extreme end of this arm D is turned in at at,so as to obviate the passage of the supporting-arm 0 below this pointand preserve the several parts in operative relation.

The springbalance may be formed with a spiral ring, E, at itslongitudinal extremity, opposite to the supporting and registering endof the device, which forms the single wire into two parallel wires, 0 0,one above the other, till near the weighing end, where the upper wire isbent up and then down, so as to form the handle F.

Any suitable elastic material may be used in the construction of thisscale, though preferably I have. made the latter of brass wire; and thetorsional formation at E may consist of any number of twists tocorrespond with the work required. v

It is evident that the caliber of wire employed will much depend uponthe weight of the material. Thus, for ordinary mail-matter a smallerdiameter wire, or one less rigid, would be required than it heavycorrespondence was to be weighed; but this, together with the propernotching of the graduated arm, will readily be determined in themanufacturing of the scales, the notches representing, in theirregistering action, a halfounce each, and their relative distance isdetermined in manufacturing, according to the size and resiliency of thebalance-wire and the length of the supporting-arm.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. The described letter-scale, consisting in the combination, with thedouble suspensionhook A, of the spring-balance made from a single wire,bent at E, to form the two horizontal arms 0 G, the latter arm, 0,forming at its free extremity the handle F and vertical index-registerD, substantially as set forth.

2. The letter-weighing scale, consisting in the combination, with thebifurcated suspension-hook A, provided with the central guardloop B, ofthe spring-balance having the horizontal arms (J 0, made from a singlewire, the free extremities of said arms bent at right angles, andconstituting, respectively, the registering-index and pointer of thescale, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the horizontal arm 0, having the return-bend c,of the arm 0 located above the former, and bent as described, to formthe handle F and registeringindex D, the latter being perpendicular tothe arm 0, and provided at its extreme end with the guard-stop 01,substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this8th day of November, 1876.

J. V. HENRY NOTT. Witnesses:

JOHN Boar, ETHEL POTTER.

